“The fact that we’re playing Harvard on Senior Day at 1952 stadium certainly adds a little significance to the game,” senior midfielder Bobby Lucas said. “There are only five of us [seniors] on the team this year. This is our last game on 1952 stadium, which is very meaningful given that I may never play here again. I think it’s really awesome that we’re not playing a meaningless game for our last home game. It definitely adds extra fuel to the fire.”
Lucas has worked toward becoming an increasingly crucial asset for the Tigers in his senior year, and has recently alternated between positions due to numerous injuries in the latter half of the season.
“When [head] coach [Chris] Bates and the other coaches decided to move me and [senior captain and middie] Chris [White] to play a little offense, it was a culture shock at first. But then I started getting used to the position again, and now I don’t find it much different from anything else,” Lucas added. “Once you study up and know what you’re doing, it becomes second nature again. Especially now, when we’re seeing injuries all over the place, you have to be flexible. That’s the mentality that I and the other middies have maintained.”
Fortunately for Princeton, White, freshman attack Ryan Ambler, and sophomore longstick defenseman Alex Beatty, who are among those who have suffered injuries and assumed spots on the bench in recent games, will return to the field for tonight’s game. Junior defensive middie Jack Strabo, however, will continue to watch from the sidelines.
“It’s extremely important to have those guys back. Chris and Jack are two of our most important defenders. Unfortunately Jack won’t be on the field. But the leadership White commands is one of the most crucial aspects of our team,” Lucas said. “And although Ambler is young, he doesn’t play like a freshman. We missed him and felt his absence during the Dartmouth and Rutgers games. He has a great vision of the field and adds another layer to our offense that we’ll need against Harvard.”
While Princeton returns from a devastating 10-9 road loss to Dartmouth last Saturday, “the worst of the season” and a “huge upset” according to Lucas, the Crimson will arrive at the Class of 1952 Stadium with a 8-7 overtime victory against No. 18 Penn under its belt. Conversely, Princeton gave up its edge on Penn, its first Ivy League opponent of the 2013 season, on March 16. The Tigers led during a portion of the fourth quarter against the Quakers, just as they have in the rest of their losses this season.
“I think it’s possible Harvard has been affected by its most recent victory in one of two ways. [The Crimson] might have obtained a false sense of confidence, especially since we lost to Penn in a very tight game. But [Harvard and Princeton] ultimately have a very healthy respect for each other,” Lucas said. “Each team is a little banged up with injuries right now. I’d be very surprised if they weren’t entering the game against us by taking us seriously. They have a very strong offense, and I’m pretty confident they’re aware of our strengths as well.”
Every Ivy team has in some way contributed to a leveling of the playing field in Ivy League men’s lacrosse throughout the 2013 season. Certainly, the traditionally dominant teams — Princeton and Cornell — have maintained a degree of authority over the division. The two are the only teams that could still host the post-season Ivy League tournament based on each Ivy League team’s wins and losses. According to Lucas however, 2013 stands as “one of the strongest years in the Ivy League in a really, really long time.” In particular, No. 12 Yale (tied with Princeton and Ohio State in the rankings) has climbed the ranks with a 8-3 record overall, and a 3-2 record in the Ivy League. Harvard has also established a newfound presence as it seriously competes for one of the four spots in the Ivy League tournament.
Friday’s game poses somewhat of a make-or-break situation for the Tigers. Princeton could earn a spot in the tournament with a win over the Crimson and the Black and Orange might look toward the prospect of a victory with a significant — though not definite — degree of certainty. The journey toward earning a tournament host position is a much more difficult one. If the Tigers sweep Harvard and Cornell, and Cornell also loses to Brown this weekend, then Princeton will host as it did last season. Currently, Cornell (10-2, 4-0) is the most likely prospect to host.
The Tigers’ ability to maintain fourth quarter leads, which they have lost in four of 11 games this year, will be key in the Tigers matchup against rival Harvard.
“In the games we have won, we played with a ton of confidence going into the fourth quarter. There was no sliding on offense,” Lucas said. “Although we were also leading in the final frame of all our losses, we didn’t have as much confidence, we were just struggling to hold onto the ball in a way. The loss last weekend was devastating but I think it has instilled a new drive in our team. We have refocused back to February when we didn’t know how games would turn out, when we fought until the bitter end. We’re entering tonight with the mentality that if we don’t win this, we won’t be in the Ivy tournament, we won’t be in the NCAA tournament.”
The Tigers’ fate will indeed hang in the balance as they step onto the field of 1952 Stadium tonight. Moreover, the five seniors — White, Lucas and attacks Tommy Gibbons, Jeff Froccaro and Luke Armour — have a special prerogative to beat the Crimson so that they can prolong their lives at Class of 1952 Stadium.
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